This season was supposed to be a whole new beginning for Ron Powlus. The golden boy and the golden dome. Once logical mates, their relationship has tarnished.
Notre Dame's quarterback - the dream position on college football's dream team - was struggling. Nothing went right for Powlus. The fans booed him. His coach berated him in public. He didn't fulfill any of the lofty expectations laid upon him.
But then Lou Holtz left after 11 seasons guiding the Fighting Irish and defensive coordinator Bob Davie replaced him. Powlus, having already graduated and married to his long-time girlfriend, gave serious thought to leaving the most storied program
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| FILE PHOTO Believe it or not, Ron Powlus was Notre Dame's quarterback the last time Michigan and Notre Dame met, way back in 1994. Powlus has struggled early this season, as evidenced by the Irish's No. 45 national ranking in passing offense. |
But Davie's promotion was enough to convince Powlus to stay. Now, Powlus thought, would be his chance to win.
But Powlus hasn't been as successful as he would have liked. Davie, whom Powlus endorses as a better coach than Holtz, hasn't been up to task.
So when the Fighting Irish (1-2) kick off tomorrow's game with the sixth-ranked Wolverines (2-0) in a nationally televised contest at Michigan Stadium, Powlus will still have more than 106,000 critics to answer to.
"This is not what I expected," Powlus said. "This is not what any of us expected. But we can't let it ruin our season."
For the first time since 1986, Notre Dame is under .500. The Irish barely held on to beat Georgia Tech in their season opener before being embarrassed by Purdue and Michigan State. Now the Irish are staring at a schedule that could easily drop their record to 1-4 after road games with Michigan and Stanford.
A sub-.500 record is not only unacceptable in South Bend, it isn't an option. And most of the blame is falling on Davie and Powlus.
The much-maligned quarterback was supposed to be more comfortable under Davie's tutelage. A new pass-happy offense and a more relaxed atmosphere were Powlus's reasons for staying. Finally, he was going to have the room he needed to shine.
But this season has been a disaster for Powlus. Statistically, he's performed well - 72-for-109 for 691 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions - but he hasn't blossomed into the leader Notre Dame needs him to be, a leader that can carry a team to victory on his own.
"It'll get better," Powlus said. "Look what happened before. It has, too."
Until Davie replaced Holtz before the 1997 season, Notre Dame was never a good fit for a passing quarterback.
Holtz's idea of a good offense was to run the option until the opposing defense shut it down, and then do it some more.
But Powlus, the most heralded high school player in the nation when he came to Notre Dame was not nimble. He didn't like to run. He wasn't any good at it.
His prolific passing ability was all but ignored by Holtz. His limitless potential thus far has gone untapped. The three Heisman Trophies he was supposed to win went to other players.
Now Powlus has enjoyed none of the changes he was so adamant about having. He can only hope to turn his season around now. Reverting to clichés, Powlus said he is going to take it "game by game." And the Michigan game is a good place to start.
The Wolverines are Notre Dame's biggest challenge this season. You wouldn't think that one of the country's best defenses would be a sight for sore eyes for Powlus. But Powlus still believes he is one of the best passers in college football and he welcomes the challenge of playing against a defense that hasn't allowed a touchdown in two games.
Nobody is really giving the Fighting Irish a fighting chance. But that's just the way Powlus wants it.
09-26-97
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